in‧sect W3 /ˈɪnsekt/ noun [countable]
[Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: insectum, from insecare 'to cut into'; because insects have a body in separate parts]
a small creature such as a fly or ant, that has six legs, and sometimes wings:
an insect bite
flying insects
Don’t forget to bring insect repellent (=a chemical to keep insects away).

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

insect
noun
ADJ. flying, winged | aquatic | beneficial Unfortunately, pesticides kill off beneficial insects as well as harmful ones.
harmful, poisonous | social Social insects, such as ants, live in large colonies.
QUANT. swarm
INSECT + VERB buzz An insect was buzzing around the room.
fly | crawl | swarm | bore Insects had bored deep into the wood.
bite, sting
INSECT + NOUN attack The wood should be treated against insect attack.
bite | eggs, larva | pests Gardeners welcome birds as they control insect pests.
repellent, spray | species | world Wasps are the master builders of the insect world.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

insect

small
The bird’s natural diet mainly consists of small insects.
tiny (=very small)
The air was filled with thousands of tiny insects.
a flying insect
Toads mainly eat small dark flying insects.
a winged insect literary:
Swallows swooped to snatch winged insects from the sky.
an insect flies
Insects were flying around the food on the counter.
an insect crawls (=moves along the ground )
A tiny insect was crawling up his arm.
an insect buzzes (=makes a continuous sound)
Insects were buzzing around our heads as we walked through the forest.
an insect bite
He was worried about a large red insect bite on his back.
an insect sting (=a hole in your skin made by an insect)
This cream is good for treating insect stings.
insect repellent (=a chemical to keep insects away)
If you go camping, you should take some insect repellent.
an insect species
Large numbers of insect species are becoming extinct.
insect eggs
The leaves were covered in insect eggs.
insect larvae (=young insects with soft bodies and no wings)
Fish love food such as worms and insect larvae.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

insect a small creature such as a fly or ant, that has six legs, and sometimes wings:
Head lice are tiny insects that live in the hair.
bug a small insect:
What are those little bugs in my roses?
creepy-crawly informal an insect, especially one that you are frightened of:
The mattress was covered in creepy-crawlies.
aphid technical a small insect that lives on the juice of plants and destroys them:
The leaves have been attacked by aphids.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲